Samsung Announces Galaxy Tab For All Four U.S. Carriers

Samsung on Thursday announced that the 7-inch, Android-powered Galaxy Tab tablet will be coming to all four national wireless carriers in the U.S.

"With the Galaxy Tab Samsung will redefine the tablet market," Dale Sohn, president of Samsung Telecommunications America, said at a Manhattan press event. "Samsung Mobile expects to be a major player in this market."

The new tablet is as light as a 12-ounce soda can, can play video for seven hours on a charge, fits in one hand, and is pocketable, said Omar Khan, chief strategy officer for Samsung's mobile division.

"The 7-inch display and thin, lightweight design, combined with premium content and productivity tools, makes the Galaxy Tab a true mobile tablet that is as comfortable to use standing on a crowded train as it is relaxing on the couch at home," he said in a statement. "Plus, the Tab's design makes it completely pocketable in your pants or jacket."

The Galaxy Tab was first announced two weeks ago in Europe, and the U.S. models share many features with its foreign cousin. All the Galaxy Tabs are Android 2.2-powered, touch-screen tablets with 7-inch, 1024-by-600 screens. They connect to the Internet with 3G and Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n (but not Sprint's 4G network.) Inside, a 1-GHz Samsung Hummingbird processor hums away. The devices are 12 millimeters thick and weigh 13 ounces, considerably less than the iPad.

The Tab has two cameras, a 3-megapixel one on the back and a 1.3-megapixel one on the front for video calling. Sprint's and Verizon's versions have 2GB of internal memory, while AT&T's and T-Mobile's have 16GB. There's also a MicroSD card slot that takes 32GB cards, and Sprint and Verizon are including a 16GB card.

The U.S. Tab won't make standard cellular voice calls. The mandatory 3G service will be for data, VoIP, and video calling. Samsung didn't say whether the Verizon model will come with that carrier's proprietary Skype app, which would turn it into a phone, but all four models will have Bluetooth capabilities to work with voice headsets.

Samsung demoed a Qik video call on the Galaxy Tab. It was jerky, but manageablenowhere near as clear and smooth as Apple's FaceTime, but it was clear to whom the Tab was talking. Video chat will work over Wi-Fi, not 3G, Khan said.

Samsung will sell a range of accessories for the Tab. There's a dock with a full, 87-key laptop keyboard, as well as a video dock with an HDMI out and a car dock that lets the Tab function as a GPS unit.

Different Software on Different Carriers
The Tab's Web browser has Adobe Flash 10.1, and the Tab supports more than 80,000 Android Market applications, Samsung said. If an Android app isn't designed for the Tab's screen size, it will be framed and centered on the screen.

That said, there's a lot of custom software on the Tab line, including Samsung's own contacts and calendar programs, its Social Hub IM/social-networking app and its Daily Briefing news program. Like Samsung's Galaxy S phones, the Tab will be upgradeable to use Media Hub, Samsung's upcoming movie and TV program store.

Each carrier model may also have its own software. Verizon's will work as a 3G Wi-Fi hotspot and have V Cast Music with Rhapsody, V Cast Video on Demand, V Cast Song ID, and VZ Navigator, along with games "Let's Golf" and "N.O.V.A.," according to a press release.

Sprint didn't cite any specific software, but the company is releasing a Sprint-only developer's guide for the tablet when it launches, the company said in a press release.

"The AT&T-powered Samsung Galaxy Tab will also feature AT&T Connection Manager, which automatically connects users to AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots to better manage data usage. AT&T customers will also have access to the entire AT&T national Wi-Fi network," AT&T said.

T-Mobile did not mention any differentiating features in its release.

Khan suggested the individual carriers may have customized hardware designs, as well. The four Galaxy S phones all look somewhat different.

"Once we get close to launch, you'll be able to see the final hardware for each of the carriers," he said.

The Galaxy Tab will be available "in the coming months," Samsung and AT&T said. Verizon Wireless said its model would arrive "in the coming weeks." Sprint's will come "this fall," according to the company's press release. T-Mobile's model will come "this holiday season." None of the carriers cited a price.

PCMag.com's lead mobile analyst, Sascha Segan, has reviewed hundreds of smartphones, tablets and other gadgets in more than 9 years with PCMag. He's the head of our Fastest Mobile Networks project, one of the hosts of the daily PCMag Live Web show and speaks frequently in mass media on cell-phone-related issues. His commentary has appeared on ABC, the BBC, the CBC, CNBC, CNN, Fox News, and in newspapers from San Antonio, Texas to Edmonton, Alberta.
Segan is also a multiple award-winning travel writer, having contributed...
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